Wilbon has signed a multiyear contract extension with the Disney-owned all-sports cable network that will expand his role on ESPN and sister network ABC, according to ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys.

The award-winning sports columnist will serve as a full-time studio analyst for ABC's NBA coverage, including the NBA Finals. With Tony Kornheiser, Wilbon will continue to co-host Pardon the Interruption, the 5-year-old sports talk show that ranks as one of ESPN's most popular programs. He'll also provide more on-location analysis for ESPN's and ABC's NBA and NFL coverage.

"Last year, we had to navigate around his Washington Post schedule with regard to his NBA appearances. And there were conflicts," say Soltys, who declined to comment on Wilbon's salary. "This new deal gives ESPN priority. So we can continue to grow his role."

Wilbon, a 48-year-old Chicago native, says he's cutting down some newspaper duties to devote more time to his TV career. "The compensation from TV is such that it's something I wanted to do," says Wilbon, who joined The Post as a general assignment reporter in 1980 before landing a column in 1990. "A lot of the people I came into the business with, like Peter King of Sports Illustrated, have moved into TV."

Wilbon's new contract stipulates he can continue to write his columns. "That's been my calling. Why would I drop what appealed to them in the first place?" he says.

Wilbon concedes ABC's NBA studio team of himself, Dan Patrick and Mark Jackson faces a tough task competing with TNT's more popular and critically acclaimed team of Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith.

"They are the gold standard for basketball, football, whatever. They have Charles — and there's only one Charles," says Wilbon, who has co-authored two books with Barkley. "But I've known Dan for 20-plus years. I've known Mark since his sophomore year at St. John's. We need to be as smart as we can to cover the league."